The Best Payment Processing Platforms for Real Estate Photographers

There are many considerations when choosing a platform to process payments as a real estate photographer. From platform integrations to processing fees, it is important to fully understand the landscape of available options, to help you determine the best choice for your business.

The Considerations:

The team at Aryeo has spoken and worked with thousands of real estate photography companies over the last few years, and we have learned the ins and outs of every payment processing platform on the market. Through our conversations and our own evaluations, we have narrowed in on three main factors that are important to consider when choosing a processing platform:

1. Ease of Use
2. Cost / Processing Fees
3. Metrics / Reporting

In this post we will give our brief thoughts on each platform, and how they rank in these three categories.

The Platforms:

Stripe

Stripe is a market leader in the payments space, and has taken the true “platform” approach, allowing developers to build off of their technology. You are likely to see most embeddable order forms or payment on delivery platforms offer a Stripe integration as the primary form of processing payments due to this developer friendly focus. This also usually translates to the most integrated and seamless payment flow within softwares.

• Ease of Use: Integrated into most ordering and content delivery platforms. Best in class payment portal flows. Very low barrier to entry.
• Cost: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
• Subscription: None
• Detailed reporting and metrics provided on both a business and individual customer level.

Square

Square was built for helping small businesses accept credit cards. Their original traction came largely from allowing small businesses to easily accept credit cards in person on their phone, however they have since added great tools online processing as well.  

• Ease of Use: Integrated into many ordering and content delivery platforms. Easy to use payment interface. Very low barrier to entry.
• Cost: 2.9% + 30 cents
• Subscription: None
• Some reporting and metrics provided. In-depth online storefront features.

PayPal

PayPal was one of the first online payment platforms to go mainstream, and it has remained at the top due to sheer scale. Initially designed for eCommerce, their products lend themselves well to one time small payments for businesses but lack a bit in areas like business reporting and invoicing.

• Ease of Use: Integrated into some ordering and content delivery platforms. Many people are familiar with PayPal, however the experience payment experience is less streamlines when compared to other platforms.
• Cost: 2.9% + 30 cents
• Subscription: None
• Minimal reporting functionality.

QuickBooks

The core of QuickBooks is bookkeeping and accounting software, however they offer payment processing and invoicing tools that create a seamless closed ecosystem. While you will find that their accounting tools integrate with many other softwares, their invoicing and payment processing remains as more of a stand alone product that is typically used independent of an ordering or delivery system.

• Ease of Use: QuickBooks invoicing features are not integrated into most ordering and content delivery platforms, however QuickBooks accounting features often are. Easy to pay invoices when they are sent directly from QuickBooks.
• Cost: 2.9% + 25 cents
• Subscription: $12-$75/mo
• Great reporting, bookkeeping, and payroll functionality.

Wave

Wave is often the underdog in the small business payment processing space. Like QuickBooks, Wave has bookkeeping and accounting in its DNA, but also offers invoicing and payment processing tools. You will not find Wave integrated into many platforms, but we do expect this to change in the future as they continue to grow in popularity.

• Ease of Use: Not integrated into most ordering and content delivery platforms. Easy to pay invoices when they are sent directly from Wave.
• Cost: 2.9% + 30 cents
• Subscription: None
• Great reporting, bookkeeping, and payroll functionality.

Venmo Business

Venmo just recently launched their Venmo for Business product after spending many years focused solely on peer to peer mobile payments. When both parties have the app installed, the ease of use when transferring money from account to account is hard to match, however there is little to no reporting or other business tools to coincide. You will also not find Venmo integrated into many other platforms.

• Ease of Use: Not integrated into any ordering and content delivery platforms. If your customers have the Venmo app, the transaction will be incredibly smooth.
• Cost: 2.9% + 30 cents
• Subscription: None
• No reporting or invoicing functionality

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Closing Thoughts:

Hopefully this information can help guide your decision in choosing a payment provider. There are many other factors to consider that we will cover in subsequent posts such as ordering and delivery platforms, when to charge your customer, and various pricing strategies. The most important thing to remember is that while a smooth payment flow can be a great tool for your business, the overall experience that you provide your customers is what will make the difference, and that experience extends far beyond the payment portal. If you have questions about payment providers, or anything else related to running a real estate photography business, reach out to our team at info@aryeo.com.